Circular knitting machine for the manufacture of runproof stockings



J. FECKER 3,491,559 CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF RUNPROOF STOCKINGS Filed Feb. 15, 1968 v e Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 27, 1970 Fig.7 v

M 19 32;: W23 16 M I :27 1s MI; 3 V g: v

, i Z1/////// I g 9 V 6 1 r v If IN V EN TOR.

BY I) Jan. 27, 1970 J. FECKYER 3,491,559

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE -0F RUNPROOF STOCKINGS Filed Feb. 15, 1968 I GSheets-Sheet 2 Fig.2

- Fi .5 Fig.4 u 3a INVENTOR.

c/OSEF FECKEB Jan. 27, 1970 J. FECKER 3,491,559

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF RUNPROOF STOCKINGS Filed Feb. 15, 1968 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 'INVENTOR.

J. FECKER Jan. 27, 1970 3,491,559 CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE Filed Feb. 15, 1968 20F RUNPROOE STOCKINGS 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fig. 7

'INVENTOR.

'/OS'F P608516 Jan. 27, 1970 i CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF RUNPROOF STOCKINGS Filed Feb. 15, 1968 6 Sheets-Shee at 5 Fig.8 v

5/ 0 K u 0 00 3 l I M P I M,

YINVENTOR.

J. FECKER 3,491,559

223%, MQEZM Jan. 27, 1970 J. FECKER 3,491,559

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF RUNPROOF STOCKINGS Filed Feb. 15, 1968 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 'INVENTOR.

M0515 Ff'Ckf/e United States Patent Int. Cl. n04b 13/00 US. Cl. 6697 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A circular knitting machine having transfer means thereon for the lateral transfer of stitches to produce runproof stockings. The transfer means comprises a movable carrier eccentrically positioned with respect to the needle cylinder, which carrier element has a plurality of extending transfer elements thereon. The circular path of movement of the transfer elements is positioned adjacent to and intersects the circular path of movement of the knitting needles whereby the transfer elements engage the inside of the stitch or loop from above and transfer same radially outwardly into an adjacent row. Slight differences in the circumferential speed of the transfer elements and the knitting needles Permit the transferred stitch to be moved laterally into an adjacent wale of stitches.

This invention relates to a circular knitting machine for the manufacture of runproof stockings. The machine cornprises a needle cylinder rotatable about an essentially vertical axis and having individually movable needles controlled in longitudinal slots arranged therein, the heads of said needles passing through a circular needle path. The machine further comprises a sinker supporting ring surrounding the upper edge of the needle cylinder and synchronously rotating therewith, said sinker supporting ring having movable sinkers arranged therein, which sinkers are radially controlled relative to the needle cylinder. The machine also comprises a carrier which rotates at a circumferential speed slightly different from the circumferential speed of the needle cylinder and which supports transfer elements thereon. The transfer elements engage stitches of the knitting from the inner side thereof in the axial direction of the needle cylinder at the beginning of a stitch transfer zone which extends over a portion of the needle path. The transfer elements widen the stitches radially relative to the needle cylinder during the movement through said stitch transfer zone and move said stitches laterally due to the varying circumferential speed. The transfer elements then transfer said stitches onto a needle at the end of said stitch transfer zone, said needle being directly or closely adjacent to the needle which formed said stitch.

It is known that runs in hosieries are caused by tearing of one stitch which sets free the next following stitch in the wale of stitches so that said stitch slides through the stitch holding same and in turn sets free said stitch etc. until the wale of stitches is completely dissolved. To prevent runs, it is known to take stitches from the wales of stitches during the manufacture of the hose and to transfer said stitches laterally to a needle which is adjacent the needle producing said certain wale of stitches. Thus, stitches are found in each wale of stitches which are not held in the preceding stitches of the same wale but in the stitch of an adjacent wale of stitches. A run can, in the respective wale, run only to a laterally transferred stitch since the transferred stitch is not freed when the preceding stitch is freed.

For a lateral transfer of stitches, transfer elements are 3,491,559 Patented Jan. 27, 1970 required in the circular knitting machine which engage a knitted stitch or a stitch hanging on a needle and which widen said stitch laterally so that an adjacent needle can engage same. Said transfer elements must be guided and controlled in a carrier. The problem arises, where the most favorable place for said carrier is in con'sideration of the little space provided in a circular knitting machine, and how to control in the simplest manner the complicated movement of the transfer elements.

The carrier for the transfer sinkers is, in a known circular knitting machine (US. Patent No. 3,110,167) constructed as a cylinder which is arranged directly within the wall of the needle cylinder and has a funnel-shaped enlargement at its upper end. The transfer elements are guided from below and slope upwardly and outwardly from outside of the knitting so as to engage the stitches to be transferred. This solution in this known machine is diflicult to work with respect to the structure because long, resilient transfer elements are required which must be moved with great precision in the slot-shaped openings between the upper part of the needle cylinder and the dial disk.

The basic purpose of the invention is to construct a circular knitting machine of the above-discussed type which is simple in its structure and in moving the transfer elements and which is safe in operation. To attain said purpose, the invention provides that the carrier with the transfer elements rotates about an axis of rotation inclined to the axis of rotation of the needle cylinder above the needle cylinder in a plane inclined correspondingly to the plane of the upper edge of the needle cylinder and intersecting the needle path.

By arranging the carrier above the needle cylinder, said carrier does not use any space within the needle cylinder. The transfer elements can be of a short and rigid structure. A particular advantage of the inclination of the plane of the carrier relative to the plane of the upper edge of the needle cylinder is that the transfer elements are guided on a path for movement relative to the carrier in the axial and radial direction of the needle cylinder on which path said transfer elements move without additional control. The natural movement of the carrier can be used to allow the transfer elements to axially engage the stitches to be transferred and to widen said stitches radially relative to the needle cylinder into the desired shape.

An advantageous embodiment of the invention provides therefore that the transfer elements are fixedly connected to the carrier and that the movement of the transfer elements, which movement is required for the transfer of stitches and is performed axially and radially relative to the needle cylinder, is assured exclusively by a suitable correlation of the needle path and of the transfer elements. In this case, there is provided no additional control members for the transfer elements, which thus makes the structure of the transfer mechanism very simple and only little wear occurs.

The carrier can have resilient radial arms, the outer ends of which are provided with transfer elements in the form of pins which are parallel to the axis of rotation of the carrier. The resilient construction of the radial arms has the advantage that possible collisions of the heads of the cylinder needles with the transfer elements do not cause any damages to the transfer mechanism or the needles. The movability of the radial arms can be used in a way that the cylinder needles, by bearing against the radial arms from below, move the transfer elements upwardly out of the stitches and thus take over the stitches from the transfer elements.

If the natural movement of the transfer elements is not sufficient, it is possible to arrange and control said transfer element for radial and/or axial movement in the carrier. For this purpose the carrier advantageously has radial grooves in which the transfer elements are arranged longitudinally and has a fixed control cam which engages lateral lugs provided on the transfer elements.

The embodiments of the invention will be described hereinafter with refrence being made to the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a partial, vertical cross-sectional view of the upper portion of a circular knitting machine according to the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a partial illustration of the transfer mechanism of the machine of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective partial illustration of the carrier with the transfer elements thereon.

FIGURES 4 and 5 illustrate a single transfer element in two operating positions.

FIGURE 6 is a schematical illustration of the stitch transfer operation.

FIGURE 7 is a partial top view of a modified embodiment of a circular knitting machine according to the invention.

FIGURE 8 is a perspective schematical illustration of the transfer mechanism of the machine according to FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 9 is a schematic illustration of the transfer operation achieved by the machine of FIGURES 7 and 8.

FIGURES 10a to 106 are enlarged illustrations of the stitches during and after the transfer.

FIGURE 11 illustrates the stitches during their transfer in a slightly modified transfer operation.

At first it must be discussed which product will be manufactured by the machine. FIGURE 10a illustrates a knitting G commonly used in m anufactureing ladies hosieries, which knitting comprises wales of stitches S S S etc. and rows of stitches R R R etc. Said knitting G is formed in the usual manner by needles N N N etc. in cooperation with sinkers not illustrated in FIGURE 10a. The knitting G, in FIGURE 10a, hangs on the needles by the row of stitches R If a stitch breaks in such a knitting, said stitch sets the following stitch in the wale of stitches free so that said stitch can slide through the next stitch in the wale. This continues until a wale of stitches is dissolved. The reason for such a run is that each stitch in each wale is held by the preceding stitch of the same Wale.

The formation of runs can be reduced considerably if stitches are taken from each wale and are transferred laterally to a directly or closely adjacent wale of stitches in such a way that they are held in said wale. Thus a run can only get to the transferred stitch in the respective wale from which said stitch was transferred laterally. The transferred stitch is not freed when the preceding stitch is freed so that the run comes to a stop. The more that stitches are transferred laterally in each wale of stitches, the shorter is the longest run.

FIGURES 10b, 10c and 11 illustrate the picture of stitches which exists during the transfer of a stitch to an adjacent wale of stitches. For example, stitch M of the wale of stitches S and of the row of stitches R of FIG- URE 10a is engaged by a transfer tool, not illustrated, after said stitch was removed from the needle N Said transfer tool widens said stitch, inclined with respect to the wale of stitches S and transfers said stitch to the needle N which is directly adjacent to needle N which formed said stitch M. This position is illustrated in FIG- URE 10b.

After the needles have thrown off the row of stitches R the stitch M of the wale of stitches S is held in the adjacent wale of stitches S namely in the row of stitches R which succeeds the row of stitches R in which said stitch M originated. Thus, a run starting in the wale of stitches S does not run further than to the stitch M.

As illustrated in FIGURES 10ac for the stitch M of the wale S in a runproof knitting as is supposed to be manufactured by the circular knitting machine of the invention, a plurality of stitches in each wale of stitches are transferred laterally to an adjacent wale so that the knitting does not allow formation of runs over large areas.

It is, of course, also possible to transfer a stitch laterally within the same row of stitches. This is indicated in FIGURE 11 for a stitch M of the wale of stitches S There, a transfer tool has slightly widened the stitch M still hanging on the needle N which formed said stitch in the direction of the row of stitches R so that the ad j-acent needle N also engages said switch M. After the row of stitches R has been thrown off the needles, the stitch M is held in the adjacent wale of stitches S however in the same row of stitches R A knitting as partially illustrated in FIGURES 1011-0 and 11 can be produced by a circular knitting machine of the invention.

A needle cylinder is arranged at 1 in the embodiment of FIGURE 1, said cylinder being provided with slots 2 extending in the axial direction in its outer circumference. Needles 3 are guided for longitudinal movement in the slots 2. For example, common latch needles are used some of which have long or short lugs. Movement of the needles is effected by stationary cylinder cam assembly 5 which is held in a cylindrical cam sleeve 6 and acts in a known manner onto the laterally projecting lugs of the needles 3 for moving same. The needle cylinder 1 is driven by the main drive of the machine (not shown) constructed in the usual manner through a main drive shaft 7, -a gear 8 and a drive sleeve 10 provided with a ring gear 9 therein, said drive sleeve being received within the needle cylinder 1 and being rigidly connected therewith. The mentioned parts are supported on a machine housing 11 which also contains and/or carries the remaining structural parts of the machine (not illustrated).

All structural parts not illustrated in the drawings are of common structure and do not refer especially to the invention.

The upper edge of the needle cylinder 1 is surrounded by a sinker supporting ring 12 which is rotated synchronously with said needle cylinder 1. Said sinker supporting ring has grooves 13 in its upper surface, said grooves extending radially relative to said needle cylinder and having longitudinally'rnovable sinkers 14 arranged therein. The radial movement of said sinkers 14 is effected by a sinker supporting carn ring 15 which is stationary and is carried by a support arm 16 fixedly connected to the machine housing 11. Said support arm 16 has also arranged thereto a yarn guide system, one yarn guide of which is illustrated at 17. A tube 18 is arranged inside the needle cylinder 1, the knitted material being removed downwardly through said tube.

The structural parts described so far are of a conventianal structure so that a more detailed description is not necessary. It is also not necessary to describe how a hose having the stitch arrangement of FIGURE 10a is manufactured by the machine described above since this is also done in a conventional and well-known manner.

The circular knitting machine illustrated in FIGURE 1 provides a common dial disk 19, which dial disk is arranged coaxially to and slightly above the needle cylinder 1 and comprising sinkers 19a to initially hold back the first row of stitches for the purpose of forming a double edge. Said dial disk 19 rotates about the same axis A as the needle cylinder 1 and is driven from above by means of the transfer mechanism V (schematically i1lustrated) by the main drive shaft 7. The sinkers 19a are controlled by means of a stationary dial cam member 19b.

In order to beable to transfer stitches in the above discussed manner in the knitting as produced by the machine of FIGURE 1, a transfer mechanism 20 is provided in FIGURES 1 and 2. Said transfer mechanism comprises a carrier 21 as a main part, which carrier is rigidly connected to a shaft 22. The axis of rotation B of the shaft 22 is inclined to the axis of rotation A of the needle cylinder 1 at an angle a. The carrier 21 is positioned above the upper edge of the needle cylinder 1. Its plane is, as this is illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2, inclined with respect to the plane of the upper edge of the needle cylinder at an angle a. Furthermore, the carrier 21 is arranged in such a way that its plane intersects the path of needles described by the heads 3a of the needles 3 during rotation of the needle cylinder 1.

The carrier 21 is provided with transfer elements 23. Said transfer elements are illustrated in FIGUREs l and 2 as pins which project downwardly from said disk-shaped carrier 21 and which are rigidly connected to said carrier. The pin-shaped transfer elements 23 can, as this is illustrated in FIGURES 3 t0 5, be mounted to a carrier 21, said carrier having spring-like radial arms 24 at the outer ends of which pins are mounted parallel to the shaft 22.

The carrier 21 or 21 is driven by the main shaft 7 which at its upper end is arranged in a bearing block 25 and which supports a bevel gear 26, said bevel gear driving in the same direction, through an intermediate gear 26, a bevel gear 27 on the shaft 22 of the carrier 21 also held in the bearing block 25. The gear ratio is chosen such that the transfer elements 23 move along their path at a speed which varies slightly from the rotational speed of the needles 3.

The transfer mechanism 20 transfers stitches M of the knitting G in the following manner:

The needle cylinder 1 and the carrier 21 rotate simultaneously at slightly different speeds. The sense of direction of the carrier 21 is chosen such that the transfer elements 23 move essentially in the same direction as the needles in the area in which they come close to the path of the needle heads 31:. As illustrated in FIGURES l and 2, the transfer elements 23 coming from above at an inclination and reach a lowermost point on their circular path, which is inclined to the needle path, within the needle path and rise again at an inclination from said needle path. During this movement said transfer elements engage from above essentially in the axial direction of the needle cylinder 1 a stitch M. This is schematically illustrated in FIGURE 6 for a transfer element 23 Said transfer element 23 is positioned approximately at the lowermost point of the circular path of the transfer elements. Upon further movement of the needle cylinder in direction of arrow P and upon further movement of the carrier 21 in direction of arrow Q, the stitch M is widened radially relative to the needle cylinder 1 into the position M, as this is illustrated in position 23 of the transfer elements in FIGURE 6. The peripheral movement of the transfer elements 23 is slightly slower than the movement of the needles 3 in the illustrated embodiment. Thus, the stitch which is to be transferred is being offset rearwardly with respect to its original position. The transfer element then arrives at position 23 in which position the stitch is further widened radially due to the deviation of the paths of movement of the transfer elements and of the needles and is offset'rearwardly to the position M in the adjacent row and Wale of stitches. The transfer element has thereby risen from the lowermost point so that it passes over the needle heads 3a. At which time the stitch M formed by the needle 3' is received by the needle 3" which is adjacent thereto opposite the direction of rotation of the needle cylinder, said needle 3" being moved for this purpose into the widened and laterally moved stitch. The transfer element 23 releases the stitch M in position M" due to its upwardly inclined movement, so that the needle 3" can then take over said stitch. Said release can be supported by the needle 3 which moves the resilient radial arms 24 upwardly with its head 31:, in the manner as illustrated in FIGURES 4 and 5, and thus presses the transfer element 23 out of the stitch M".

After the transfer operation is completed the stitch pattern looks as illustrated in FIGURE 100. If a stitch pattern according to FIGURE 11 is to be achieved, the

path of the transfer elements 23 must extend at a smaller angle to the path of the needles 3, which then allows the stitches to be transferred laterally in the same row of stitches.

As one can understand from the above discussion, the transfer of stitches by the transfer mechanism according to FIGURES 1 and 2 is essentially done by the natural movement of the transfer elements relative to the needles. The transfer elements are not controlled by any additional means, instead they engage the stitches in the axial direction due to the inclined position of their circular path relative to the upper edge of the needle cylinder and widen said stitches in the radial direction due to the inclination of their path being different from the inclination of the needle path. If the natural movement of the transfer elements is not sufiicient to assure an orderly transfer of stitches, a transfer device, as illustrated in FIGURES 7 and 8, can be used.

The parts of FIGURES 7 and 8 which are identical to the parts of FIGURES 1 and 2 are identified with the same reference numerals. The machine of FIGURES 7 and 8 comprises a transfer mechanism 30. Said transfer mechanism has a disk-shaped carrier 31 which is rigidly connected with a shaft 32. Transfer elements 34, in the form of sinkers with hook-shaped operating ends 34a thereon, are longitudinall movably arranged in radial grooves 33 of the carrier. A fixed disk-shaped cover 35 converts into a slide bearing 36 for the shaft 32, said bearing being connected, in a manner not illustrated, to a bearing corresponding to the bearing block 25 of FIG- URE 1. Said disk-shaped cover comprises a cam disk 37 rigidly connected therewith, the groove-shaped control cam 38 of which is engage by lateral lugs 34b of the transfer elements 38. The shaft 32 of the carrier 31 again is driven by the main shaft 7 of the machine through a bevel gear drive 39.

The axis C of the shape 32 is inclined to the axis of rotation A of the needle cylinder 1, namely at an angle of in the embodiment of FIGURES 7 and 8. Thus, the plane of movement of the carrier 31 is positioned vertically on the plane of the upper edge of the needle cylinder. Further, the plane of the carrier 31 in turn intersects the path of needles 3 in such a way that the vertical projection of the axis of rotation C onto the plane of the needle path intersects the needle path at the point of intersection at an angle b of approximately 75 to its tangent. Thus, an advantageously large stitch transfer zone is created which is characterized by the angular sector ZZ in FIGURE 8.

FIGURE 8 illustrates only the structural parts which are used during the transfer operation so that the transfer process can be clearly understood. The needle cylinder again rotates in the direction of arrow P whereby the needles move on a circular path indicated in dotted lines at N. The carrier 31 rotates in direction of arrow Q which causes the operating ends 34a of the transfer elements 34 to move, while still on their natural path, from above downwardly into the knitting and, after reaching a lowermost point, said operating ends again rise from said knitting. An additional control movement by means of the control cam 38 is superimposed on the natural rotational movement. As soon as the transfer elements 34 reach the stitch transfer zone which is positioned in the angular sector Z--Z in FIGURE 8, said transfer elements are moved radially outwardly relative to the carrier 31 by the control cam 38. The operating end 3411 of a first transfer element 34 thus engages a stitch M which is prepared for said engagement by the sinkers 14 or the needles 3. This is schematically illustrated in FIGURE 9. The respective transfer element is thereafter pulled back radially inwardly by cam 38 so that same arrives at position 34 The stitch remains on the operating end of the respective transfer element and is widened radially relative to the needle cylinder 1 by the path of the transfer elements, said path deviating from the needle path N, and obtains the shape M (FIGURE 8). The peripheral speed of the carrier 31 is slightly slower than the speed of the path of the needles which causes the stitch hanging on the respective transfer element to be rearwardly offset with respect to its original position. As illustrated in FIGURE 9, the needles 3 move downwardly in the area of position 34 of the respective transfer element so that the transfer element can be moved outwardly passing over the needle ring without the fear of any collision. The transfer element is thereafter moved radially outwardly by cam 38 into position 34 The needle 3 which follows the needle 3' which formed the stitch M is then moved upwardly into the widened and laterally offset stitch l\ in the manner which is illustrated in FIGURES 8 and 9. The respective transfer element 34 is then pulled back by cam 38 so that the stitch remains hanging on the needle 3" so that the picture of stitches of FIGURE 100 is obtained.

This invention is not restricted to the illustrated embodiments. The inclination between the axis of rotation of the carrier and of the needle cylinder can of course be adjusted to the respective spacious needs. It is also possible for the angle at which the projection of the axis C intersects the needle path to have a desired value of between approximately 85 and whereby, of course, the rotational speed of the carrier must be faster as angle 12 becomes smaller. It is also possible to move the start and the end of the stitch transfer zone within certain limits in such a way that the remaining aggregates of the machine are not influenced by the stitch transfer operation. The transfer elements 34 can, in addition to their radial movement relative to the carrier 31, perform a movement in the direction of its axis of rotation if this is required to laterally widen the stitch to be transferred.

All characteristics disclosed in the description and the drawings, including their constructive details can be inventive in any desired combination.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A circular knitting machine for the manufacture of runproof stockings comprising a needle cylinder rotatable about an essentially vertical axis, said cylinder having individually movable needles controlled in longitudinal slots arranged therein, the heads of said needles passing through a circular needle path, further comprising a sinker supporting ring surrounding the upper edge of the needle cylinder and synchronously rotating therewith, said sinker supporting ring having movable sinkers arranged therein for movement radially with respect to the needle cylinder;

further comprising a carrier which rotates at a circumferential speed slightly different from the circumferential speed of the needle cylinder and supports transfer elements thereon which, at the beginning of a stitch transfer zone which extends over a portion of the needle path, engage from the inner side of a knitting, stitches of the knitting, in the axial direction of the needle cylinder, said transfer elements widening the engaged stitches radially relative to the needle cylinder during the movement through said stitch transfer zone and moving said stitches laterally due to the varying circumferential speed, and said transfer elements transferring said engaged stitches onto a needle at the end of said stitch transfer zone directly or closely adjacent to the needle which formed said stitch; and

wherein the carrier with the transfer elements thereon rotates about an axis of rotation inclined to the axis of rotation of the needle cylinder, and said carrier being positioned above the needle cylinder in a plane which is correspondingly inclined to the plane of the upper edge of the needle cylinder and which intersects the needle path.

2. A circular knitting machine according to claim 1, wherein the transfer elements are arranged and controlled for radial movement in the carrier.

3. A circular knitting machine according to claim 2, wherein the carrier has radial grooves, in which grooves the transfer elements are longitudinally movably arranged, and including a fixed control cam engaging lateral lugs on said transfer elements.

4. A circular knitting machine according to claim 1, wherein the vertical projection of the axis of rotation of the carrier on the plane of the needle path intersects the needle path at an angle of approximately measured from a tangent to the needle path at the point of intersection.

5. A circular knitting machine according to claim 1, wherein the axis of rotation of the carrier extends at an angle of approximately relative to the axis of rotation of the needle cylinder.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 439,571 10/1890 Appleton 66148 1,095,164 4/1914 Musgrove 6695 1,328,580 1/1920 Miller 6695 2,060,020 11/1936 Boaler 6695 2,330,269 9/1943 Coleman et al 66135 2,438,697 3/1948 Fregeolle 66135 3,110,167 11/1963 Parthum 6695 FOREIGN PATENTS 872,101 3/1953 Germany.

WM. CARTER REYNOLDS, Primary Examiner 

